Click through for further explanation.
“Money corrupts the process of reasoning,” Lessig said. “They get a sixth sense of how what they do might affect how they raise money.”
Lawmakers need to be free from a system that requires them to constantly raise money in order to free them to simply think about how to craft good public policy.
full article
Annals of Law: Death In Georgia - Jeffrey Toobin has an interesting piece about how capital cases are funded, and how crazy they can get, using the Brian Nichols (the Atlanta courthouse shooter) case as an example. Interesting fact: Florida caps death penalty defense funds at $15,000. That’s pretty cheap for making sure […]
The Falling-Down Professions In short - doctors and lawyers don’t have it as great as they once did, and they aren’t happy about it.
McCullagh’s Law of Politics
As the certainty that legislation violates the U.S. Constitution increases, so does the probability of predictions that severe harm or death will come to Americans if the proposal is not swiftly enacted.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
American Lawbreaking - “a five-part series about the laws we are allowed to break in America and why.” The parts:
That other drug legalization movement (prescription drugs replacing street drugs, at least for rich people)
How laws die (the changing nature of pornography/obscenity law enforcement)
Tolerated Use: The Copyright Problem (pretty self-explanatory, although more about changing/conflicting media […]
Friday, September 21, 2007
I will not eat it in a brief? - judge writes Dr. Seuss-style order when a plaintiff includes a hard-boiled egg with his filing.
I do not like eggs in the file.
I do not like them in any style.
I will not take them fried or boiled.
I will not take them poached or broiled.
I will not take […]
This post is for you, Robert Tourtelot - lawyer sends nastygram to DVD rental company owner, threatening him under non-existent laws. It just gets crazier from there, including the lawyer challenging him to a street fight.
Is the Tort System Costing the United States $865 Billion a Year? - in a word: no. Now I have to take back some of the mean things I said about Posner.
The authors’ estimate of the benefits (= costs) of the average foreign tort system, when subtracted from the $865 billion “cost” of our […]
Minnesota Bill Proposing Poet Laureate Written in Verse
Interview with EFF’s Fred von Lohmann on YouTube, Copyright, Google, and More - not exactly cutting edge right now, but there’s an interesting suggestion that one of the motivations for buying Youtube might have been to establish legal precedent favorable to Google. Nifty idea.
Jobless man asks judge for jail time
A man who couldn’t find steady work came up with a plan to make it through the next few years until he could collect Social Security: He robbed a bank, then handed the money to a guard and waited for police.
I know it’s anecdotal, not proof of anything, etc., […]
“All statements in language are statements of opinion… so called ’statements of fact’ are only more specific statements of opinion.” W. King & D. Pillinger, Opinion Evidence in Illinois 4 (1942)
“There is no conceivable statement however specific, detailed and ‘factual,’ that is not in some measure the product of inference and reflection as well […]
Software Patent Lawsuits Against Open Source Developers - Bruce Perens’ observations and predictions of the problems with software patents and open source models. Possibly alarmist, but food for thought. I especially hate the idea of patent “litigation factories” - businesses that buy patent portfolios and go looking for people to sue.
There is also […]
Bad Reason for Attending Law School #9 Ahem. This is not me. At least I hope not, because I wore jean and a hoodie to work too.
To do the math on that transaction: You are essentially paying for the right to sleep an extra hour or two, and to have the option […]
Motion Denied Because You’re An Idiot - Federal judge cites “Billy Madison” in order. I’m not sure if I think this is the best thing ever, or a sign of the impending apocalypse. Or both.
Missouri Hates the Bill of Rights - House Concurrent Resolution 13 is pending in the state legislature. It would name Christianity the state’s official “majority” religion. Meh, who needs that First Amendment?
“[J]ealousy is the rage of a man, and adultery is the highest invasion of property.” - Regina v. Mawgridge, 84 Eng. Rep. 1107, 1115 (1707) (emphasis added)
Consent - that first kiss is so awkward, isn’t it?